


Nightmares are no match for Mr. Rainbow

by Mr_Lonely



Series: Healing Takes Time and a Little Light [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Cuddling, Fluff, Gen, Morgan is there to help, Nightmares, Peter Parker Has Nightmares, Sleepovers, TONY LOVES HIS KIDS, Tony Stark Has A Heart, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:53:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22479742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mr_Lonely/pseuds/Mr_Lonely
Summary: Morgan finds Peter crying in his room after he had a nightmare.Luckily, she knows exactly how to help.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe) & Tony Stark
Series: Healing Takes Time and a Little Light [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1618501
Comments: 13
Kudos: 102





	Nightmares are no match for Mr. Rainbow

Morgan had a secret.

She knew when someone was in trouble. Not "gonna-get-hurt" trouble like when Mommy burned her hand on the stove, but "someone-is-sad" trouble.

She wasn't supposed to be up. Daddy had put her to bed and turned the lights off, and he or mommy would come wake her up when it was light out and the sun was up. Daddy threatened to sell her toys again if she didn't go to bed, but Morgan knew he didn't mean it.

So, she wasn't supposed to be up. But she got a feeling in her gut, almost like butterflies, so Morgan got up anyway.

The hallway was dimly lit with the glow from downstairs. Mommy and Daddy's door was slightly open; if Daddy was awake, he would have closed the door behind him so Mommy wouldn't wake up.

Petey's door was closed too. Morgan walked up to it, and that's when she heard the crying.

Peter was staying with them for the long weekend. He was the best big brother, playing tea party and doctor with her. He even made a web swing right under her tree house! She wasn't allowed to use the web shooters til she was older. Peter always gave her a piggyback ride when she asked. His back didn't get sore like Daddy's did.

Morgan knew Petey was allowed to stay up late, but why was he crying?

She thought for a moment, then went back to her room to grab something.

\------

Peter had nightmares.

They were always less frequent when he was at the Stark Lakehouse, if only because he could hear Mr. Stark's heartbeat anywhere in the house. That calmed his own racing heart, and was normally enough to chase the nightmare away.

Less frequent didn't mean not at all, though, and no fix was a perfect one.

After Titan, and the snap was reversed, people seemed to move on. Mr. Stark even made himself a new arm, like Mr. Barnes, and put that in the past. Everyone was moving forward, but these nightmares made it seem like Peter was falling further behind.

So why didn’t his brain get the message that he was safe, and alive, and it was all over?

There was a soft knock at his door before it opened.

Peter frantically scrubbed at his eyes and tried to control his breathing. The last thing he needed was Mr. Stark finding out about his nightmares and treating him more like a kid.

However, it wasn't Mr. Stark silhouetted in the soft glow of the hallway.

"Petey? Are you okay?" Morgan whispered, but not very quietly.

Peter's voice was hoarse from choking back his tears. He sat up. "Morgan?"

That seemed to be all the answer she needed to come right up to his bed. "Do you wanna have a sleepover? Daddy says it makes him feel better when he's sad."

Peter just sat there, sniffling wide eyed at her.

Peter loved Morgan like the sibling he'd never had. She was so smart and creative and the sweetest kid he knew. He looked forward to babysitting her whenever Mr.Stark asked.

He thought about telling her she shouldn't be up so late, but even in the dim light there was a determined look in her eye that she must have learned from Mrs. Potts. "Y-yeah, okay, I'm sorry I woke you up, I-"

Morgan climbed onto his bed before holding something out. It was a white teddy bear.

"This is Mr. Rainbow. He chases away the bad dreams."

Morgan pressed down on his paw, and the bear lit up with gentle, multicolored lights. Peter dug his fingers into the fur and tried not to start crying again.

Morgan scooted closer and plastered herself to his side. "Daddy says that nightmares can't really hurt you, but I still get scared when I have one."

Peter let out a shaky breath and smiled at Morgan. "Your daddy is really smart, huh?"

Morgan nodded enthusiastically. "I get nightmares about monsters under my bed, so Daddy fixed so if I'm ever scared, it lights up like Mr. Rainbow!" She looked up at him. "What're you scared of, Petey? I promise I won't tell."

Peter swallowed, hard, and took a breath. Then another. Another.

"I'm scared about disappearing," he said in a soft voice, barely a puff of air.

God, she was just a kid. He had no idea how much she knew about the snap. He was supposed to be comforting her after she had a nightmare, not--

Morgan wrapped her arms around his torso. "Then...then I'll hold on  _ really tight _ and then you won't disappear, okay?"

"...okay"

\------

Tony had actually slept that night. It was odd, but not unwelcome. He stretched as he walked up the stairs from the kitchen where he'd been helping Pepper with breakfast.

_ Time to wake up the kids. _

Tony started down the hallway and froze. Any lingering tiredness was washed away with cold panic. Morgan wasn't in her bed.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y, where's Morgan?"

The A.I. did not seem nearly as panicked as Tony was. "She is in Mr. Parker's room, boss."

Tony let out a breath, leaning his head against the doorframe. "Why?"

"Mr. Parker had a nightmare."

_ Huh _ . The kid had never mentioned anything before. But what did Morgan have to do with that?

Tony got his answer when he pushed Peter's already cracked door open. Morgan was an octopus cuddler on a good day, even more so when she slept. She would always curl around her pillow or a stuffed animal. This time, she clung to Peter's back like a little jetpack, softly snoring, hair a mess. Peter was curled in on himself, holding--

"F.R.I, take a photo," Tony whispered, telling himself that it was for black mail material and not a photo he was gonna print out and keep in his wallet. Mr. Rainbow, the bear, was still glowing softly, duller now that light was filtering in through the windows and open door.

Tony walked around the bed and leaned over to give Morgan a kiss on the head. She let out a little hum, then blinked up at him.

"Good morning, little miss. You two had a sleepover without me?"

Morgan rubbed her eyes before snuggling back into Peter's back.

Tony's heart was going to explode or give out, whichever came first. "Come on, mommy made pancakes."

"Can't."

Morgan never said no to pancakes. "Why not?"

"Gotta keep Petey from disappearing."

Tony paused, then sat down on the edge of the bed. Peter'd had a nightmare about the snap, he guessed. Being dusted. Tony let out a sigh. Poor kid, he was way too young to be kept up with nightmares. And Morgan, the best thing that had ever happened to someone like Tony, was keeping his other kid safe.

This, this was what he'd been fighting for. Later, he'd talk with Peter as much as the kid wanted to. And hell, if Mr. Rainbow helped, then he had spare LEDs in his workshop. 

Nightmares weren't gonna haunt his kids if he could help it.


End file.
